Years ago, I used to use a some sort of multi-blade something or other, but I switched to electric. Recently, the electric has died and I dug out my old blade stuff but the price of replacement blades and the idea of throwing away a chunk of plastic every time I change a blade has me going the DE route.

Eric

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I think you'll be fine with that if the reviews are any indication. I'm not sure you saved much over a 23c though.

anyway...

Keep in mind, as has been written before, that it's wet-shaving that you're getting into. I guess DE razors would work almost as well with canned foam, but the results many are getting with DE come from the process. So, that said, did you also buy shave soap and a brush?

1) Is there much difference in a $20 Chinese handle vs. a $60 European or is it more of a pride-of-ownership thing?

2) When you're done shaving, do you have to open up the action on the handle to let things dry or will everything be OK if it just sits out on the counter?

TIA,
Eric

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1-Like I told a guy who was on a rant about "the Ducati illusion" and how his Honda was every bit the bike any Ducati was: Giorgio Armani and men's wear house both make suits, if the Giorgio Armani doesn't do something for you, go with the men's wear house.
I notice a little bit of difference between my Tavel razor and one I found in an antique store with an identical design. IMO it's due to the fact the chrome finish on the bit that meets your face is a tiny bit pitted on the antique causing it to drag.

2-when I finish shaving I open the razor up s little bit and rinse it out to get the soap/stubble spooge off the underside of the blade, then I re-tighten it and side. FWIW, you wanna make sure you re-tighten it. DAMHIK

Years ago, I used to use a some sort of multi-blade something or other, but I switched to electric. Recently, the electric has died and I dug out my old blade stuff but the price of replacement blades and the idea of throwing away a chunk of plastic every time I change a blade has me going the DE route.

Check out some of the lower priced Vulfix and Omega brushes. Get a real brush, it's worth the money and it will last for decades. No point in going cheap for something that most guys use 300 time a year. Buy the big 1kg brick of Cella and save some money there.

I shaved with Proraso this morning for the first time in nearly a year, and I remember why I love Cella the way I do. My face is on fire today.

I lather up my face with bar soap in the shower after I've shaved, find any spots I've missed, and give them the final pass. Bar soap is definitely slicker than most shave soaps and great for that final run, but it doesn't give me enough safety for my first pass.

Check out some of the lower priced Vulfix and Omega brushes. Get a real brush, it's worth the money and it will last for decades. No point in going cheap for something that most guys use 300 time a year. Buy the big 1kg brick of Cella and save some money there.

I shaved with Proraso this morning for the first time in nearly a year, and I remember why I love Cella the way I do. My face is on fire today.

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OK, so now educate me on this stuff.

I was under the impression that I was going to buy a brush and a puck of soap, throw that soap into the mug and whip it up. After watching several Youtube videos, I'm learning that I need a mug and a bowl; the mug holds the soap and the bowl is for lathering.

I was under the impression that I was going to buy a brush and a puck of soap, throw that soap into the mug and whip it up. After watching several Youtube videos, I'm learning that I need a mug and a bowl; the mug holds the soap and the bowl is for lathering.

Is this how you do it?

TIA,
Eric

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Well, a puck sometimes comes in its own container, so that is one less thing to have to get.

And I use a coffee mug (it's curved and wide; it doesn't have straight sides with hard corners at the bottom) to work the lather up in... sometimes. Truth be told, some of the shave soaps lather up just fine on the face (Truefitt & Hill, and Proraso when newer - not so much when allowed to dry out if the top is left off), and some require work to lather (Colonel Conk's, cheap Wal-Mart puck).

But, yes, it seems far better to take some soap off of the puck with the brush and lather it elsewhere
than to perpetually keep your soap puck that wet by lathering on top of it.

There's no hard fast rule on how to do it, but I don't think you need a separate bowl and mug. I take my brush, that has been soaking in hot water, and whip it around my tub of Cella, then lather it on my face and whip it up there a bit, and just go back and forth a few times until it is completely lathered and my face covered. Sometimes you have to add a little more water to the brush while doing this. A lot of it depends on the soap and the brush you use. Cella lathers easily with a very soft, big badger brush, but some harder soaps actually work better with cheaper, stiffer, and shorter badger brushes, or even a boars hair brush, which is quite a bit stiffer. I would start with a mid-priced, mid-sized badger brush from Vulfix or Omega, and that should work pretty well with most any soap you're going to be trying.

If you want to make it as easy as possible, you can get Proraso and Tabac shave soaps in a tube, and these are fast and easy to lather up. Just a dollop on the brush and lather on your face. The soaps tend to be more expensive this way, and you'll go through them a lot faster than the pucks. Cella is awesome stuff, like a soft putty.

I was under the impression that I was going to buy a brush and a puck of soap, throw that soap into the mug and whip it up. After watching several Youtube videos, I'm learning that I need a mug and a bowl; the mug holds the soap and the bowl is for lathering.

i've shaving with a straight for 5 years. the key is to shave after you shower and keep the razor sharp. the sharper the better. learning to keep it sharp takes some practice. also learning to shave my chin took a bit.

why do i chose this meathod? there are a few reasons. im into doing things the way they used to done. also, one razon can last a lifetime. i also get fewer ingrown hairs. it takes me about 20 min to shower and shave. i generaly only shave every other day.

you can find a good quality razor at a second hand shop for $40. also, the differance in a quality shaving soap and the stuff you get in a can is night and day.

Well, day two with my Weishi and Dorco blades that it came with. Using canned foam for now and my shave is nothing to write home about but I haven't cut myself, either. I think a combination of caution and a not-very-aggressive razor is keeping me from getting a really close shave and bleeding out over the sink.

Victorinox store at the West Farms Mall in Connecticut is closing. All their wet shaving stock is 75% off. I just picked up a Dovo silver tip brush for $50. All Swiss Army knives are also 75% off as well.

I purchased a merkur 34c about 2 months ago. A friend gave me a variety of blades to try. So far, like the Merkur and Dorco blades best. Derby the least.

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Now that you have some miles under your belt, go to Amazon and order a variety pack. Mine came with Shark and Feather brands. LOVE the yellow wrapper Feathers.
I lost my blade when I was traveling once (WTF TSA??). I found some at CVS after I landed. Gawd they were awful. I looked like I went 10 rounds with a pack of ferrets armed with dull carrot peelers. I got spoiled with good blades.

Victorinox store at the West Farms Mall in Connecticut is closing. All their wet shaving stock is 75% off. I just picked up a Dovo silver tip brush for $50. All Swiss Army knives are also 75% off as well.

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What a drag. That's just a bit out of range for me for a ride between the morning fog and afternoon rain.